The Rivalry
by beafstew
Summary: Modern AU: Brooke Rogers is the new girl to small town called Faircliff. Everything is a bit strange in Faircliff, like the mysterious ancient school rivalry that divides the town, a trophy that has been missing for fifty years, and Brooke's tendency to crash into Ezio Auditore. Literally. EzioXOC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first time writing an Assassin's Creed fanfic, and I'm sorry if I accidentally write Ezio or any other character slightly OOC, but please tell me because I would like to correct it! Also, I hope that my character, Brooke, isn't boring, as I have never written a character like her. So, in case you couldn't have guessed, writing this story is completely new ground for me and I hope you'll forgive the bad translating of Google Translate (I don't speak Italian). Also, tell me if I have a certain fact wrong, because I'm not an expert on the AC series, but I'll stop talking and let you read on!**

* * *

Chapter 1.

Ezio Auditore grinned. Summer was always the best season.

First of all, summer was during his birthday,and that meant girls wanted to wish him happy birthday in their _special _way. Second, no school. Thirdly, and the most important by far, _bikinis_. Ezio picked up a stray Frisbee and winked at the girls who obviously had thrown it toward him. They giggled and waved their arms for him to throw it back.

"Ezio, here!" One of them called, and he smiled charmingly. The junior threw the Frisbee toward them, and the group of girls jumped for it. Ezio would definitely be paying them a visit...

"Watch out!" A girl shouted, and Ezio turned around to see a football careening toward his face. His instincts flashed, and Ezio caught the ball inches before his nose. A couple of his friends were laughing at him, and Ezio rolled his eyes. He sent the football rocketing back and turned around to bow to the ladies. The girls giggled and Ezio decided that it was about time to talk with them.

He jogged over to the crowd and gave them his signature smile. He knew them all by name, hell, he knew almost all the girls' names at both Ackley and Holy Cross.

"Why don't you play football? You're so good!" Anna, a blonde said as she placed a hand on Ezio's shoulder. He smiled, "In Italy, soccer is called football."

She pouted and folded her arms, "We just lost four seniors! We need to win this year!"

"And we will, Anna." He smiled at her, and she blushed.

"Ezio Auditore!" A voice shouted and Ezio turned around to see Vieri de' Pazzi standing there with a group of Holy Cross kids. His brow furrowed slightly and Ezio felt anger start to build. What the hell were _they_ doing here?

"_Solo un memento_, ladies.*" He walked forward, spreading his arms and grinning. "Welcome, Vieri, to the _better _side of the beach. But this is Eagle territory. So leave, before I make you." His voice dropped to a deadly tone, one that made people halt and see what was going on. Ezio glared at Vieri and folded his arms.

A crowd started to form and everything was still. Tension started to build, and other started to mutter to each other. _"...we help?...Auditore's take care of their own business... god damn Knights..."_

"Big talk for someone who's out numbered six to one." Vieri announced the obvious, but he shifted his weight in discomfort at the gathering Eagles. One thing was clear, the Knights were not welcome on this side of the beach.

"And I can still kick all of your asses," Ezio shrugged and then gave them a grin. "Unlike you, Vieri, who can't hold his own when you don't have a group to cover you as you run away." The crowd began to thicken as the tension grew. There was an invisble line drawn in the sand and no one dared to cross it. The teenagers, even the drunk ones, were still. Then, a voice broke through the crowd.

"Move, move, move, honestly people, stop clumping!" A small, tan girl reached the crowd and put her hands on her hips. "Ezio Auditore. You are not fighting again, you remember what mother did last time?" Ezio's face went from serious, to shock, to dread in a matter of seconds.

"Claudia," Ezio protested as he turned around to face his younger sister. He pleaded her with his eyes, but she rolled her eyes at him.

"No. And besides, _Fed _is coming home today." Ezio's eyes lit up, and he nodded after a moment of considering his options. For the past six monthes, his father was busy at the bank, Petruccico was always doing something along the lines of school or sports, and women had taken over the house. It would be good to have a bit more man power in the house. He planned around to smile tauntingly at Vieri, but he walked straight into a punch. Ezio reeled backwards from the sucker punch, and automatically Claudia face palmed. The Eagles began to cheer on their hero as he picked himself up and wiped his mouth to check for any blood.

"Bastard. Can't even hit me in a fair fight," Ezio muttered, and faced the guy who hit him first. A senior, with black hair, dark eyes, and a haughty expression. Ezio recognized him immediately, the 'prince' of Holy Cross- Cesare Borgia. Automatically, Cesare made a move to punch Ezio, but the younger Italian slammed his shoulder against him and delivered a viscous uppercut. Cesare grunted as he stumbled backwards and others moved forward to surround Ezio.

Ezio didn't back down, and as each Knight tried to punch him, he always delivered a counter strike. _Elbow, punch, punch, uppercut, kick_. The motions came in a viceral pattern, one that Ezio could not control. Time slowed down for him, every movement was wild, and not at all elegant like he'd practiced on a bag. They were rough, dangerous punches that connected with anything within range. However, after a few _crunch_es of cartilage, and a few bruises gained all around, Veiri called his subordinates back. The Knights limped back to their master like a loyal dog, and left Ezio standing in a circle of Eagles, victorious.

He was panting for breath, sweaty, but grinning ear to ear. "Where are you going, de' Pazzi? Afraid I'll make your face worse than it already is?" Ezio called after him, and Vieri paused in his quick stride. The Knight's jaw twitched in anger, but Cesare Borgia pushed him forward. He whispered something into Vieri's ear and they nodded.

"You win, today Auditore. But lets see how well you'll play this year on the field. How many championships has it been now?" Vieri shouted down at Ezio, who scowled and the people around him began to boo at the fleeing Knights.  
"Coward!...Knight's suck!... We'll kill you this year!" Other names were yelled at the departing rivals, and Ezio grinned and wiped his nose, which was bleeding from a lucky punch. He turned around to see his younger sister scowling at him, and Ezio tried to look as sheepish as possible. Claudia couldn't keep the pride out of her eyes, and she laughed slightly. "We need to get you cleaned up. After all, a scar would ruin your image."

Ezio sighed, and debated to let one of the girls fix him up... he began to scan the area for the girls and Claudia punched his arm lightly, "Come on, stop gazing at girls."

"Who me? _Never_," Ezio grinned and walked over to pick up his things. Claudia rolled her eyes. "Let's just get you home before you get into more trouble."

...

Brooke carried another box inside the house and set it inside the foyer. This one was labled, 'BROOKE'S ROOM', however, she still had no idea which room was her own. Boxes were piled against the walls, and more were coming in. She sighed at the challenge of unpacking them all and settling in this old house. It was so hot here, and after of just a half and hour of unloading boxes, the teenager was already sweating. Brooke grimaced as she walked back out into the moving van.

Her father, Chris Rogers, was slumped against the moving truck and she grinned at the sight. His glasses were low on the bridge of his nose, and he was fanning himself with a book. He must have been exhausted because Chris had always lacked stamina and heat tolerance. Brooke received the latter from him but because she was so fit from year round sports, stamina wasn't a problem. There were only five or six boxes left in the van, and so Brooke patted her father lightly on the shoulder and said, "I got these last few, dad. Why don't you go help mom unpack things in the kitchen and cool off?"

Chris' eyes were filled with relief and he nodded. "That's a good idea. Holler if you need any help, honey." He hauled himself upward to walk inside, and Brooke smiled to herself. Though she was nervous about going to a new place, she couldn't stop the tension that was finally dissipating from her mind. It was so nice to get away from her old life, to have the ability to start over and simply move on. Brooke grabbed a box from the back of the moving van and put it under her arm, and then she grabbed a lamp with the other arm.

Brooke made her way up the brick path and steps, and then walked inside the old paneled house. She placed the boxes in the foyer and began her trip again. She trekked back and forth two more times, and when she had the last box in her arms, her mother, Martha, came out with another job for Brooke. She looked stressed and was waving a slip of paper around wildly.

"Brooklyn, I need you to run to the store!" Brooke set the box down and jogged up to meet her other. "Okay, do you want me to go now?"

"Yes, we don't have any food and I don't know if the store closes early on Sundays. So here's the things that we need. Also, the store's in the center of town, according to your father, if that helps at all. You might just want to plug it into your phone."

"Thanks, mom, see you later," Brooke took the list from Martha and smiled at her, and then set off to her Jeep. The black car was already hot from baking in the sun, and the top was up. Brooke glanced over her shoulder to see that her parents weren't outside yet. She quickly pulled down the soft hood, and climbed inside the jeep. The keys were in the cup holder, and the interior was a mess. CDs, cassettes, and their cases were strewn across the car seats, while snacks, water bottles, and a couple boxes were scattered across the car. Fifteen hours of driving usually resulted in large messes. Brooke grimaced at the feeling of the hot leather against her skin and grabbed the keys from the cup holders.

She turned on the car and automatically, Red Hot Chili Peppers started to play out of the speakers. Some of the neighbors, who were mowing the lawn, or clipping the bushes, glared at her because of the loud noise. _Oops_, Brooke thought as she flushed and turned down the music. As soon as she made it out of the quiet neighborhood, Brooke turned the stereo up, and tapped her fingers against the steering wheel to the beat. The main road had a few people driving down it, but most people walked around here.

Brooke had just arrived here a few hours ago, and she already found it impossible to get lost. Everything here was so simple, and the town of Faircliff was the center of everything. All roads eventually lead back to the town center. Nothing was more than two miles distance from the town, according to her father, and so far, his assessment was true. It took her less than five minutes to reach town, and she parked in the nearest open space.

The teenager had gotten odd looks from the adults in town, mostly because her Jeep Wrangler Renegade was something most people didn't see on the road these days and the fact that she was new to this small town. Brooke pulled on her sunglasses and got out of the car.

When she walked onto the sidewalk, she found it busy and bustling in the summer heat. People were walking in and out of stores, sitting together in the shade of the large tree that was located in the center of town. She felt like she was misplaced in this place, everyone seemed like they were some type of big family, and she was the odd one out.

Brooke finally saw the market, which was on the corner of the main street. She picked up her pace and entered the busy store. She grabbed a basket on her left, and set off to shop. The list read _milk, cheese, lettuce, bread, butter, carrots, salad dressing, cookies, sweet Italian sausage, lean ground beef, minced onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 can crushed tomatoes, 2 cans tomato paste, 2 cans canned tomato sauce, white sugar, dried basil leaves, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, ground black pepper,chopped fresh parsley, lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, eggs, salt, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese._ She rolled her eyes at the spontaneous list and added Frosted Flakes to the things to get.

As she walked through the aisles, gathering everything she needed, Brooke came across the Frosted Flakes, but they were too high up. She stood on her tip toes as she strained to reach them, but her fingertips were just inches away. Curse her short form, now, and forever. Brooke went down to normal height and folded her arms. Her lower lip protruded in a pout and she studied the box with the smiling tiger that taunted her.

Brooke growled slightly and glanced around. No one was looking, and so she set the basket on the ground and put her foot on the bottom shelf. She leaned down and tested it's strength, and then tentatively put her other foot on the shelf. Brooke made a wild grab for a higher shelf. She let out a long breath, and then reached with her other hand for the cereal box. Her hand reached the bottom of the box, and she grinned in triumph. Suddenly someone took the box away, and Brooke heard them clear their throat. She glared ahead and was fully prepared to snap at the person who just took the Frosted Flakes from her.

She jumped off the shelf and wheeled around to see a tall guy holding the box of Frosted Flakes awkwardly in his hands. He was imposing, but his expression was soft. He had brown eyes, deeply tanned skin, and longish hair pulled back into a half ponytail. He wore a simple t-shirt and jeans, and he had a cart nearby him. The guy looked around her age, and Brooke had to stop herself from saying something rude out of instinct.

"Here, I think you wanted these," He handed her the box, and Brooke looked between him and the box and then raised a skeptic eyebrow. Most guys would've tried some type of horrible pick-up line. The guy shifted his weight and was obviously unsure of what to say.

"Um, thanks. I usually have a _cart _to step on." She laughed, and he smiled, "You seem to know how to scale grocery store shelves without one." Brooke shrugged, and put the cereal in her basket. "Story of my life. I'm always trying to reach _something_, and so I have to improvise," She grinned, and stuck out her hand.  
"I'm Brooke."

His large hand engulfed hers as he shook it and said, "Connor."

"Well thank you for the assist, Connor. I don't think I would've gotten off on the right foot with everybody if I spilled all the cereal all over the aisle floor."

He laughed and stuck his hands in his jean pockets. Suddenly, a man called his name. Connor's smile melted off and he frowned. "Connor?" He spoke with a British accent, and he looked around 50. He had handsome, aged features, and Brooke could tell that women older than herself must've thrown themselves at his feet. He arrived to the two teenagers and dumped groceries into the cart.  
"Ah, Connor, who is your friend?"

"Brooke Rogers, sir." Brooke said formally and stuck her hand out. Connor's father shook her hand and his eyes narrowed in recognition. "I'm Haytham Kenway, Connor's father. Are you Chris Rogers' daughter by any chance?" Brooke nodded sheepishly and confirmed Mr. Kenway's question.

"How do you know my dad?" she asked, and Mr. Kenway seemed to study her before answering. "We were frequent opponents in sailing."

She nodded, her father had taught her how to sail since she was a kid. It wouldn't surprise her that he had competed here as a teenager. However, Mr. Kenway didn't seem like the type to sail smaller boats.

"When did you move back?" Mr. Kenway asked, and Brooke smiled, "A couple hours ago. My mom just sent me to the store to buy food to stock the fridge." He nodded and clasped his hands behind his back. Connor looked slightly nervous around his father, he kept glancing between Brooke and the older man, and shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"I assume you will be attending _Ackley_, as your father went there." Brooke noticed the disapproval in the older man's eyes as he said that sentence, but she brushed it off. She shrugged, and said, "I've been so busy with moving I haven't even discussed school with my parents."

Connor coughed and reminded the two that he was still there. Mr. Kenway glanced at his son by the corner of his eyes and then returned his attention to Brooke.

"And what do you sail, Ms. Rogers?"

"An RS300**." Mr. Kenway nodded in approval and Brooke looked at Connor, "Do you sail?" He immediately shook his head, "I moved here in the beginning of June. My dad's been trying to get me on one, but I just don't have time."

Mr. Kenway frowned at that comment, but Brooke quickly replied before an argument would break out.

"I understand what you mean. Moving can be such a stressful experience, and people-,"

Brooke's phone buzzed, and she apologized as she answered the phone. "Mom?"

_"Brooke, did you find the store?" _Martha questioned, and the teenager rolled her eyes.

"Yes, mom. Sorry, I ran into one of dad's old friends."

_"Well get home soon! I need to make my lasagna!"_

Internally, Brooke cringed when her mother said that word. Anything her mom cooked was toxic rubber that took the deceiving form of appetizing food. Lasagna was the worst one.

"Okay, I'll hurry. Bye mom."

_"Love you honey_." Brooke turned off her phone and turned to the Kenways and said, "I'm sorry, it was very nice to meet you both, I'll see you around, Connor."

* * *

*translated from Italian- _Just a moment_

**An RS300 is a small, fast sailboat that's very, very fun to sail. If you want an image, I recomend looking it up on your search engine. You'll get two things, a car and a sailboat. Obviously, it's the small sailboat ;)

**I hope my character wasn't boring, but the story gets much better after this chapter (at least for me)! I haven't written for a while, so please excuse the bad grammar or spelling mistakes. R&R, and _valete_ (goodbye in Latin)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

Brooke could barely chew the food on her plate. Her parents were having the same trouble with the rubbery lasagna. And there was a large platter that was full of it. She came across a rather tough piece of cheese, and Brooke flinched. The teenager swallowed very slowly, and put her fork down. "You know mom, this is just so heavy that I'm already full."

Her mother smiled with satisfaction, and Brooke made eye contact with her father. They had one word in mind, _takeout_. What usually happened whenever Martha cooked, they would toss a couple pieces out daily, and order takeout before she came home from her vet clinic. Now, they'd have to wait and order it after she went to sleep.

"You know, Martha, dear, this is so amazing, but I can't eat anymore. Like Brooke said, it's very heavy, and we're both light eaters." Martha beamed, and Brooke forced a smile on her face as she tried to get the vile taste out of her mouth. She took a _long _sip of water, meanwhile her mother started to talk.

"Do you know the neighbors Brooke? A man and his son live there, William and Damien Miles?"

"No, _Desmond_ Miles. And from what I hear, he's your age Brooke." Brooke's eyes widened, her parents were setting her up with some guy again.

"I bet they must be hungry. Brooke, why don't you take some of my lasagna over to them?"

Brooke nearly spewed her water and choked on it at time when her mother said that sentence. She put her glass down and coughed repeatedly. When she finally got back to normal, the teenager shook her head and said, "Mom, is that a good idea? Maybe tomorrow-,"

"Don't be silly, Brooklyn! Take it over, you should get to know the neighbors." Chris put in, and Brooke shot an annoyed look at him. He just wanted the stuff out of the house, and Martha wanted to share her 'food' with the world. Brooke sighed. She wasn't going to win this argument, and so she stood up and walked over to the disgusting food.

"Fine, I'll take it over." Martha beamed again at the words, and Chris slumped back in his chair and let out a blissful sigh. The teenager put a lid over the container, and looked back at her parents. "I'll be back in five minutes."

"Take your time, Brooklyn!" Martha said with a smile, and Brooke rolled her eyes. "Okay, mom." She walked out of the house, and slowed her steps as she tried to think of a way that wouldn't put these innocent people in danger of her mother's cooking. Maybe she could stumble and fall. Oops! Lost the food. _No, it's hard enough to survive that. _

She had to think of something... attacked by rabid animals? _No, that wouldn't work_. Maybe- Brooke had arrived at the front yard of the neighbor's house. The lights were on, so obviously the house was occupied. Saying nobody was home wouldn't work.

Warning them would have to be enough.

Brooke walked up the pathway and toward the large house. There was no doorbell, so she knocked on the door and waited for an answer. There was the sound of footsteps and someone audibly cursing about something. The door swung open, and a guy who looked around Brooke's age was standing there. His brown hair was close cropped and he wore a white hoodie. He was tall, good looking, and Brooke noticed a scar on the side of his mouth.

"Can I help you?" He asked, and she frowned. "Yeah, my mom made lasagna. She thinks it's wonderful, dad wants it out of the house. Long story short, here's me being neighborly." Brooke handed him the container, and the guy's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "I thought this sorta thing only happened in tv shows and movies."

She sighed, and cracked a smile, "My family is pretty much a sitcom. And besides, we want to show our _Southern hospitality_." Brooke's voice dipped into a deep southern accent and placed a hand on her hip. He cracked a smile and said, "You moved here from the South? Damn, talk about a fish out of water."

Brooke laughed, "You have no idea. I met a few nice people, but most thought I carried some sort of southern disease." He glanced at the food in mock horror, and Brooke laughed.

"I'm Brooke. I moved in next door. But take my advice and throw that lasagna out before you get food poisoning."

He looked at her with shock and she glanced over at her house nervously, which was right across the hedge and picket fence. "My mom is horrible at cooking. Anything that comes out of the house with a food label is toxic."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said and glanced at the lasagna with skepticism. She shrugged and said, "It's better that I warn you now."

"So what do you think of Faircliff?" he asked, and Brooke thought about it for a second.

"I'll get used to it. Or people will get more used to me. I honestly don't know, I arrived here around 2. I thought news traveled fast in small towns." She said with a grin, and the guy sighed, "It does. But I've been working that news reaches me later."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm-," suddenly a voice shouted, "Desmond, what are you doing standing there? Close the god damned door." Automatically, the guy rolled his eyes and shouted back, "In a minute, dad!" He turned back to face Broke. "Sorry, my dad. I'll see you later... Brooke?"

"Desmond, right?"

"Yeah. And a good place to get food that isn't toxic is the Hastings Deli," Desmond said with a grin, and she nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind," Brooke said with a smile, and then looked over his tall shoulder. "Um, you might want to close the door before your dad comes over here to do it for you."

Desmond muttered a curse, and started to close the door. "Well, I'll see you around."

"Desmond. Shut the door!" His father shouted, and Brooke grinned and gave a small wave, "See you."

...

Ezio was woken up rudely.

Federico Auditore was obviously back because he used his favorite method to wake up his little brother- by dumping a bucket of water on top of him. Ezio was sopping wet, freezing, and wide awake as light blinded him. His confused and innocent expression was irreplaceable as he looked up at his brother in shock and anger.

"Federico!" He shouted as he sat up wiped the dripping water off his face. However, his older brother was long gone, with a trail of laughter following him. Ezio muttered choice words as he got up and walked to his bathroom to grab a towel. He would have to get Federico back later. Ezio dried his body and face, and took a quick glance in the mirror. _Damn it_, he had a bruise on his jaw. His mother would kill him.

"Perfect..." He muttered and wondered how he could get away with this. Claudia didn't tell Maria, his mother, about the fight, but she would definitely find out because of this. Ezio sighed and pulled off his dripping boxers and dropped them on the ground. He walked back into his room and opened his dresser as he reached for something new to wear today. Ezio got dressed in a pair of shorts and a regular t-shirt, and checked the clock, which read 11:45 AM. It wasn't that bad compared to other days when he got up around 1 or 2.

He grabbed his shoes and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. However, he stopped when he saw his mother sitting in a chair and tapping her fingers lighting against the wooden table. Her expression was pleasant, but her eye were storming. _Maybe I could go the other way..._ he started to back up as silently as possible.

"Ezio," She said calmly, and Ezio froze in his tracks. This was not good. "Morning, mom," He said brightly, and tried the other option. He started to walk toward the door quickly. His hand was on the knob when Maria spoke.

"I know about your fight with Vieri."

He froze up, and then turned around with a slight smile and a raised eyebrow in an 'innocent' expression. "What fight?"

"Sit. I am in no mood to play this game." Ezio frowned and took a seat next to him mother.

"I was going to back out, but I was sucker punched," He explained, and Maria folded her arms and sighed through her nose in exasperation. She sat back in her chair and studied her son, her brown eyes were impossible to read, and her mouth fixed in a straight line.

"That's it?"

"I wouldn't have this if they fought fair," Ezio gestured toward his jaw, and Maria's eyes widened. She grabbed his chin and inspected his face to see if something else was wrong. "_Ezio Auditore_! I said I don't want you in any more fights!" Ezio looked up at the ceiling with annoyance as his mother fussed over him. She checked his pulse, his glands on his neck, his forehead, and scanned his face for any more bruises or cuts.

"Who did you even hear it from?" He asked, and Maria forced Ezio to look at her as she opened his right eye and shined a pen light in the eyes to check for dilated pupils. She let out a sigh of relief that her son was fine, and released him.

"Oh the _entire _town is talking about it! _'The Auditore's child nearly broke my kid's nose' _or _'Maria, you better watch Ezio or he might end up seriously injuring someone'_." She threw her hands up in the air while she talked to emphasize her point, and Ezio raised an eyebrow. _Who's nose did I nearly break_?

"Mother, it was six against-,"

"I don't want to hear it, Ezio! Next time I hear that you got into some fight I'm going to ground you for a month- no tv, no phone, no partying, and you'll work at the bank with your father during any free time that you have." Maria sighed, and her fierce expression softened. "I'm sorry, but I don't want you injuring someone else, or worse- yourself." Ezio opened his mouth to argue, but then shut it at the annoyed look his mother gave him. They sat in a tense silence for several minutes, until Ezio sighed.

"I understand, mom." He dropped his gaze to the floor, and Maria placed her hand over his. She smiled apologetically at her son, and Ezio knew that she hated to yell at him.

"Good, I just want you safe." She let out a breath and got up to grab an apple from the fruit basket on the counter top. Ezio stood up and started to head out when Maria called after him.  
"Ezio! Can you drop off Petruccio at his soccer camp? You can spend the rest of the day with Federico." Maria smiled as she returned to her old self and Ezio relaxed as he felt the mood shift to normal.

"I can't promise you that," the teenager said as he walked back to grab an apple and he kissed Maria's cheek. He slipped on his shoes, which caused him to nearly loose his balance and hop around. Ezio placed a hand on the counter top so he wouldn't fall over and once he slipped on his shoes successfully. He took a large bite from the apple and walked over to grab his keys.

"Love you, mom." Ezio said as he put his hand on the door knob and Maria said, "Have a good day. And try not to get into _too_ much trouble with Fed." He sent his signature trouble maker grin toward his mother then exited the house.

Ezio walked into the front yard and saw his brother playing soccer with Petruccio. He smiled at the sight, and jogged over to meet his brothers.

"What's this? You might just beat Federico, little brother!" Petruccio looked up and grinned ear to ear at Ezio, which allowed Federico to take the ball from his youngest brother. "Hey!" He shouted at the older Italian, who laughed and said, "You're good, but I am still your older brother!" Federico kicked the soccor ball and it landed in the corner of the goal. Petruccio groaned, and Federico laughed and thumped him on the back. "One day. Maybe."

The two brothers jogged over to meet Ezio, who was looking at his wrist like a watch was there. Federico rolled his eyes and said, "Took _you _long enough, were you fixing your hair, or getting yelled at by mom? Petruccio and I had to find _something _to do while you took your sweet time." He laughed as he slapped Ezio on the back. Petruccio also laughed and said, "He was probably drying off after you woke him up, Fed."

Ezio rolled his eyes and said, "I do not need this abuse."

"Are you pouting?" Federico asked jokingly, and Ezio scowled at him, "No I'm not!"

"Yes you are. Can we go to soccer? I'm going to be late," Petruccio asked, and the two older brothers stopped their rising debate. "Alright. But I'm driving," Federico said as he took the keys out of Ezio's hand and headed toward the car. Ezio sighed through his nose, but allowed his older brother to get his way. For now, at least.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Be sure to r&r, and if you want anything special to happen- just let me know! Vale!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Brooke wandered through Faircliff with a growling stomach as she looked for the deli Desmond recomended. She felt hopelessly lost. It wasn't like the town was large, it was approximately eight blocks- a rectangle with a center that had a small little brownstone walkway. Simple enough, right? Not.

She grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, which was a much larger city, but at least she could find things in her Maps app. Here, that wouldn't work, and Brooke had never felt lost in her life. She looked at each store sign in hope that there might have been an infrence of food inside.

Someone bumped into her and out of habit, Brooke's hand jumped to her back pocket. She frowned when she disovered her pocket was now empty. "Shit," She muttered and scanned the crowd, but there weren't too many people walking on the street. But someone had just pick pocked her. _Who the hell...?_ A guy was glancing back at her and walking fast. _There_.

She narrowed her eyes and her frown turned into a scowl. Her step quickened as Brooke started to approach the theif, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Hey!" She shouted as he took off. A few people glanced over in surprise, and then rolled their eyes or started whispering. _Damn would people even try to pickpocket someone here? It's such a small town!_

Brooke didn't hesitate to chase after him. Her feet pounded the pavement as she sprinted after the theif, who was turning the corner and trying to loose her as fast as possible. She ignored the people as she only focused on the theif who just poorly pick pocketed her, and pushed someone aside as they stepped out of a shop. Suddenly the sweet smells of food hit her, and she paused subliminally. Then the theif crossed the street, and Brooke grit her teeth. "Hey, you asshole! Give me back my money!" She shouted as she followed, but on a slightly different path.

Instead of taking the crosswalk, Brooke ran through the actual street. Cars honked and stopped as she weeved between the two lanes, and gained on the theif. He glanced back over his shoulder, and seemed shocked that she wasn't giving up.

When she hit the sidewalk again, Brooke was able to go full speed again and tore after the theif, who was obviously tiring. He continued to run, and turned into a small alley. In the back of her mind, she wondered how they even had an alley in such a small town, but she follwed relentlessly.

The theif was trying to buy himself time by turning over trashbags and trashcans as he slowed down, but Brooke leaped over them. He turned back onto the street, and turned to the right. When her path no longer had any objects in her path, she extended her stride and was able to become faster. The sidewalk was only a few feet away, and from there, Brooke was certain she would catch the pick pocket. She smirked in triumph and the good feeling of being able to stretch out her muscles again. Brooke turned the corner, and ran down the street.

Then she slammed into a wall.

Brooke hit the ground, and slammed her head against the ground. She gasped for air that was just knocked out of her, and she closed her eyes as she tried to regain her bearings. A dull headache was spreading through her skull like a lazy storm. "Oh, ow," Brooke groaned and placed a hand on her tender forehead. _What the hell did I hit?_

"Is she alright?" A woman's voice cut through her nebulous state. Her eyes snapped open and Brooke realized it wasn't a wall she ran in to. It was a door that had just opened, and there was a guy who must've opened it, kneeling down beside her and looking concerned. He had tan skin, bangs that fell on either side of his face, and his hair was pulled back into a pony tail. The guy was _very_ attractive, and looked around her age. Brooke felt color rise to her cheeks, despite her efforts to remain calm.  
"Are you alright?" His warm brown eyes studied her face intently, and Brooke nodded slowly. Then it occured to her she could still catch the pickpocket. She sat up and felt the dull ache become more painful, but she ignored it. "'Scuse me," Brooke muttered as she pulled herself up and let out a slight groan. She realized there was a small, gathering crowd of people to check up on her.

"Easy," Another voice said and a firm hand grabbed her arm. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance as she looked at him, and tried to pull her arm away from his grasp.

"I have to go!" The person who held Brooke's arm looked older, like he was in his early twenties, and very similar to the other guy. They must've been brothers because they had similar facial expressions and eyes. "Why?" The older one asked, his lips turned up in a small smile of amusment.

Brooke looked between the two in frustration and pulled her arm from his grasp. "Because I have to get my wallet from that asshole!" She pushed through the crowd, and then walked quickly down the street, scanning the area for a sign of the pick pocket. Her head was complaining, but her main priority was to find the the theif. _What was he wearing- a black hoodie? Or a-_

"_Hey_!" cut through Brooke's thoughts and made the small teenager turn around. She searched for the source, and her eyes narrowed as she realized it belonged to the two guys who were running after her. The circle of people had broken up, and went back to their daily routines- why couldn't these guys do the same and let her handle her own buisness?

With a slight growl of frustration, Brooke turned back around and scanned the people for any signs that would infer that they were running hard, or looking around for any signs of her. Her eyes connected with a person who was turning a corner of a block, and their eyes widened. She grinned, and took after them, with the other two guys in towe. She picked up her pace and pushed through a croud of girls, mumbling an appology, before taking off into a run and the chase began again. The theif had turned the corner, and the small girl crossed the street again to close the distance between them.

"Get back here!" Brooke shouted as she vaulted over a bench and suddenly, one of the guys was right beside her. "That's the guy?" He asked and Brooke looked up at him, and then dodged around a lamp post. "Yeah," she answered and the guy grinned. "I'll get it back for you," He suddenly passed her, and Brooke would've rolled her eyes if she wasn't so focused on getting her wallet back. She put more effort into going fast to catch up with him. When she rounded the block, the teenager skidded to a stop when she saw the pickpocket being cornered between the two guys. The older one held the theif by the t-shirt, while the younger guy held out his hand.

Brooke cleared her throat loudly as she jogged over, and their heads swivled toward her.

"Ah, there's the lady now!" The older one exclaimed, grinning at Brooke, and she ignored him as she focused on the unfortunate pick pocket. The guy looked petrified, his face pale and sweating as he looked between the three.

"Where's my wallet?"

"He- here!" He pushed Brooke's wallet toward her desperately, and she took it from him gently. The small girl held it up and said with a smirk, "Thank you. I thought I had lost it." Then, the guys' attention shifted from her and back to the theif.

"You should try a new hobby. Maybe one where girls in Chacos can't run you down, no offence," The younger one said with a smirk and crossed his arms. He raised an eyebrow in a challenging manor, like he was daring the theif to argue. "I promise, Ezio! Can you let me go?" 'Ezio', the handsome guy that looked around her age glanced at Brooke, who was checkng her wallet to see if anything was missing.  
"I believe it's the lady's choice." Ezio smirked at her, and Brooke looked up when the conversation was directed toward her. The small girl shrugged, "Nothing's missing, and you've done your good deed for the day. Let him go."

The older guy released the theif's shirt, and they watched him scamper away, shaking in fear. She smirked when they turned back around to look at her with a similar impressed and confused expression. Their eyebrows raised, mouths nearly smirking, and bewliderment obvious in their eyes. Brooke nearly stuck out her hand, but felt it would be too awkward, so she just gave them a small wave and said, "Thank you. I'm Brooke, by the way."

"Ezio," The younger looking one said with his eyes twinkling with mischief and his mouth quirking into a trouble maker smirk. "And this is Federico, my brother." Ezio thumped his older brother on the back, and Brooke pocketed her wallet.

"Well, thank you both, Ezio and Federico. I should probably be on my way, but I will remember to _run_ into you again if I'm chasing down a pick pocket." She grinned and internally cringed at the horrible pun. She turned around to walk away, when Ezio called after her.

"Wait!"

"Yes?" Brooke turned back around to look at them, and Federico was leaning against the wall observing them with an amused smile.

"Leaving so soon?" Ezio asked, clasping a hand over his heart and pretending to be heartbroken at her departure. She rolled her eyes at the gesture, and her stomach growled.

"Well, I've got to go eat. I suppose if you eat lunch later than most people, you could along."

"Pass," Federico said with a smirk, and pushed himself off the wall. "I've got to meet with an old... friend. _Lots _of things to catch up on. I'll see you two around." He glanced at Ezio, who nodded and smirked. "I bet. I'll see you at home, Fed." Federico smirked at Brooke, "Be careful of my brother. He's trouble." His younger brother made a face, and caused her to laugh slightly. "I'll keep that in mind."

Federico walked away, and Ezio turned around to face Brooke, who had been waiting patiently for the brothers to make their decison. "So you're coming with me?"

"Yeah, now I've got you to myself," He gave her a charming smile, and she rolled her eyes at the suggestive tone. "Come on, I have no idea where anything is, so you're gonna' have to show me."

* * *

**I can't tell you how many times I re-wrote the last part of this chapter. I really wanted it to fit Brooke's character, and fit with the plot I have in mind, and not make any characters OOC (which I hope I didn't do). I also wanted their first meeting to stand out. ANYWAY, tell me what you thought, R&R, and valete! **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Ezio sat in a booth at his favorite place to eat, _The__ Den_. While they waited for their food, Brooke, the smaller girl that chased down the pick pocket, was obviously impatient as she studied the door to the kitchen. She was fidgeting, her eyes narrowed, eyebrows furrowed, and stomach growling. He smirked as he observe her figure- she was hot. Though Ezio couldn't determine if her hair was brown or blonde, her tan skin, amber eyes, and subtle, curvy figure made him very happy that Brooke crashed into him. Now they were sitting in a cafe, and tonight...

Ezio glanced around the cafe so she wouldn't think he was staring. The usually loud, cozy cafe was nearly empty, and it's staff was currently joking around as the chefs worked in the back. It was a standard cafe, a selection of pastries on display, coffee tables, a couch and some comfortable arm chairs, and then booths and small tables were in the back for people who wanted to eat. There was an old couple sitting together on one end of the room, and another man was settled in a comfy chair with his laptop in his lap and coffee in hand. But they were the only other customers there.

"So, when did you get here?" Ezio asked, and Brooke tore her gaze away from the door to look at him. She shrugged, "Yesterday. What about you? How long have you lived here?" They were making small talk, but the conversation flowed easily between the two.  
"Since I was a kid. Most people don't move into Faircliff."

"Why?" Brooke asked, her amber eyes sparkling in interest. Ezio shrugged, and sat back against the booth's seat. "People usually go to the city to make a living, and it's a long commute so people settle for small towns closer to Boston." _That, and the rivalry has a tendency to drive people away_. She nodded, then paused as she thought about something else.

"So what do people do around here?" Brooke asked as she gestured around her and then sat back against the booth. Ezio's eyes lit up, time to make his move.

"There are parties, in fact, there's one tonight, on the beach. You should come, new, mysterious girls who chase down pick pockets are always welcome." He gave her a wink, and Brooke raised an eyebrow, "So do you always take those mysterious new girls out to lunch?" She was smiling slightly, and Ezio smirked- this was going to be easy, she was playing into his hand.

He shrugged, "Only the beautiful ones." The first rule that he had learned about girls was that they loved to have their compliments on their appearance. He didn't understand why, but he knew the importance of the rule. It had taken him far in life.

However, she didn't react the way all girls would- Brooke didn't giggle and blush or even smile seductively at him. Instead, she rolled her eyes and nodded with a look that seemed to say, '_seriously_?' Her eyebrows were raised and it bugged him.

Ezio's brow furrowed, _why didn't that work? I might have come on too strong. Damn it._ He sighed and raised his eyebrows apologetically. She looked more amused at his expression, and she let out a short laugh. "I'm guessing most girls fall for your pickup lines." Her eyebrow was now raised, and a corner of her mouth turned upward, and he wasn't sure if she was making fun of him, or angry at him.

Before he could respond, however, a waiter came out of the kitchen carrying their food.

Her eyes grew wide at the sight of food and she grinned in excitement. Ezio wasn't sure if he should comment on her cuteness, but decided to go for it.

"You look cute, like a kid on Christmas morning," He smirked, and Brooke did the expression again. Ezio frowned- was she mad, or making fun of him?

The waiter place the food in front of them, Brooke thanked him, and then dug into her large sandwich. Ezio wolfed down the food in front of him, and when they finished, Brooke looked satisfied at her empty plate.

"That was good," She said with a sigh and then smirked, "I guess chasing down pickpockets does work up an appetite," Her smirk turned into a grin, and Ezio smirked. "I can't-," He swallowed, "I can't believe someone your size can eat so fast." He was still bugged by the fact that she rebuffed him so easily, and she didn't seem like she was pretending to play hard to get. Or was she? Was she just a flirty type, and not interested? Or was she interested, and dropping hints in some weird way? Or- his head spun at the possibilities, and then he sighed.

"I didn't mean to come on so strong, sorry," He apologized, working up his best puppy dog eyes. She rolled her eyes. "Really?" Brooke smirked, and Ezio shrugged, but his eyes narrowed slightly, _wasn't she flirting with me earlier? And she _invited _me to lunch._ Then the answer hit Ezio. She must have a boyfriend.

"So do you have a boyfriend?" Ezio asked, and Brooke's eyes widened in shock, and then she started laughing, "No."

"Girlfriend?" He asked slowly, looking from his finished plate back up to her, and she laughed even harder at that. He felt himself shift in discomfort. Ezio had never been in this situation. Why was she laughing? And if she didn't have a boyfriend, then why did she turn away? _Is she just not interested?_ The thought appeared and disappeared in Ezio's mind. Of course Brooke was interested. She was here, wasn't she? _And she invited me._ He sat there, bemusement evident on his face as he looked at her with a furrowed brow. Brooke folded her arms, sat back in the booth, and raised an eyebrow at Ezio. He realized he was studying her face intently as he tried to piece together her puzzle. He glanced away, and then she spoke.

"I'll think about it." She said with a smirk, and Ezio blinked in confusion, and then his eyes lit up. Think about him? "The party," Brooke clarified, and he grinned, the conversation just swung into his court. He could work with this. Unless she did that expression again.

"I'll save you a dance," Ezio said and she put a hand over her heart, "For me?" She looked surprised and sarcastically touched- and then she laughed, "Pass, besides, I-,"

Her phone rang, and a song by the _Arctic Monkeys_ started to play. Ezio's eyes widened in recognition, and Brooke flipped open her phone to answer it. She held up a finger in a gesture of 'just a sec' and shot him an apologetic look..

"Hello? Oh, hey Lora... I'm good... yeah there definitely are, you'd love it here... I'm actually at lunch with someone... uh, a guy... Ezio," Brooke glanced at Ezio, and then rolled her eyes at whatever her friend was saying. "...Yeah, and no... okay, I'll talk to you later, bye." She flipped her phone shut, and his eyes widened in mockery of the ancient flip phone. "How old is that thing?"

Brooke shrugged, "I don't know. My parents gave me the option of a nice phone or a stereo system. I chose stereo," She smirked, "Besides, it does what I want it too. And it's invincible, which is good 'cause I have a tendency to break technology." She waved her phone around as she talked with her hands, and Ezio took the phone from her hand. The compact, green phone felt foreign in his hands, and he flipped it open. A small picture showed Brooke and her friend, probably Lora, arms draped over each other's shoulders and smiling- in bikinis. He looked up to see Brooke rolling her eyes at him. Ezio smirked, "You should wear bikinis more often."

"I wear them all the time," She said, and his eyebrows shot up and he grinned. "Really?"

"Really. I lived in a coastal city, in the south," Brooke said with sarcasm, but once again, Ezio was not sure if she was making fun of him, or joking with him. He shrugged, "Hey, you good in a bikini. Nobody can deny that." He winked, and then looked down at the phone.

Ezio focused on finding contacts, and he frowned as he tried to operate the old technology "Shit, I haven't used one of these in forever. How do you even text?"

"I usually call people." Brooke answered, and after Ezio finished putting his contacts into the phone, he tossed it back to her. She started to slid out of the booth, and he followed.

"Thanks, Ezio. I'll see you later," Brooke gave him a smile and wave, before she turned around to walk away. "Hey, Brooke!"

"Yeah," She asked, turning around to look at Ezio expectantly.

"I'll see you at the party. 7 o'clock, north end of the beach." She rolled her eyes and turned around, "Maybe," Brooke walked out of the cafe, and Ezio followed her as she walked out. _She's going_, he thought smugly. She was just playing hard to get... right?

* * *

**So anyway, that's their first meeting! Right now, I'm trying to establish a place where they can advance from (one that I think is true to the characters in Assassin's Creed, and also one that works with the plot I'm developing. It's not just football games and parties...) I'm sorry about not updating quickly, but I really had trouble with this chapter. I wanted it to be good, and I'm still considering rewriting it. Anyway, thanks for all the follows and the reviews! R&R and _valete_!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Brooke was breathing heavier than normal when she stopped by the docks. It was nine o'clock, and her morning run felt good. Now, she could spend the rest of the day, (until lunch at least) sailing. She had already gotten her boat moored yesterday, which was the reason she was late in eating lunch. Mr. Faulkner, the manager and old friend of her father's, had let her dock there at the price of giving sailing lessons to kids once or twice a week.

Mr. Faulkner seemed to live in his office, a shabby building barely located on the land, just before the water's edge. How it survived Hurricane Sandy, Brooke had no idea. Maybe he took the wood from the destroyed docks and made it his house... She knocked on his door.

"Go away," the man groaned. She rolled her eyes- he was definitely suffering from a brutal hangover. So, Brooke slowly cracked open the door, and said softly, "I'm taking the _Sachem_ out, Mr. Faulkner." Mr. Faulkner was buried underneath bottles of beer, and a wet washcloth. He glared at her from under the cold fabric, "Just shut the door!" He yelled as the stench of the small room hit Brooke. She recoiled, shutting the door quickly and inhaling the sweet smelling air.

_Shit, does he ever shower?_ She wondered as walked out to the docks edge and looked at her beloved sailboat. The hull was originally white, but Brooke had spend her first summer with the _Sachem_ repainting it an ominous shade of black. She had lost a bet, so the price was painting the boat whatever color the winner decided. Once the teenager spotted her boat, which was moored about twenty feet away, she took off her shoes, then her shirt and shorts. Brooke dived into the chilly water, and she automatically felt a cold hock pass through her body. _Cold water. Definitely not like South Carolina!_ Her mind shouted in shock,and Brooke surfaced and swam toward her boat. She untied the line which anchored the _Sachem_ to the booey, and started to toe the small boat back to the dock where she could rig it.

Once Brooke reached the docks and tied her boat back, she went to grab her mainsail and sheets.* About ten minutes later, the younger teenager was getting into the _Sachem_ and sailing out into the harbor.

Brooke fell into the relaxing rhythm of sailing, and she continued her exploration of the small cove. For the past week or two, she had taken to exploring the To her right, a steep, rocky cliff, and her left- a long beach. Out of curiosity, she sailed a bit closer to the beach. As usual, there were still a couple teenagers out still partying, while other were passed out on the sand. Brooke let out a laugh, Ezio would _never _get her to go to a party like that.

She had felt bad about not turning up, but she doubted the charming, womanizing teenager would be too heartbroken. Her thoughts lingered on Ezio as she remembered having lunch with him. He seemed to be taken off guard when Brooke refused him, and she smiled slightly at his puzzled look that made him look childish. He seemed more of a gentleman than similar guys Brooke had dealt with in the past, and that was probably the only reason she had humored his flirtations. Her thoughts traveled further, toward Charleston. Automatically, Brooke pushed away,_ don't think about that. Think about _now_._ However, the experiences she held there still haunted her thoughts, and she closed her eyes.

However, at that moment, the wind shifted, and the boom** swung over. "Shit!" Brooke yelped and ducked down. The metal pole still hit her head, and she produced more curses as she quickly adapted and picked up speed. The _Sachem _started to slice through the waves, and the young teenager grinned at the feeling of pure freedom that filled her. Brooke continued to sail well into the morning, and then she heard Mr. Faulkner yelling for her.

She grimaced, something must have been very important to rouse him from his hangover. A couple other vessels were out, but she was the only small boat out. Brooke maneuvered her way back to the docks, and saw there was two people standing next to Mr. Faulkner. One she recognized.

"Oi! Brooklyn, I got a job fer 'ya!" Brooke docked the boat, and looked up at the three men. "Hi," She greeted them with a smile, and squinted at them because the glare of the sun was blinding. She had forgotten her sunglasses, and was already regretting it. Connor Kenway gave her a small smile, and Mr. Faulkner looked red faced and in pain from his hangover. The man she did not recognize was old, late sixties at least, and gave her a troublemaker smile. He bore a strong resemblance to Haytham, as with Connor- the powerful shoulders, the jaw, and facial structure were all the same. He must have been Connor's grandfather.

"This is Connor, you're giving 'im sailing lessons." Mr. Faulkner grunted as he shielded himself from the sun's harmful rays by covering his hands over his eyes.

"Oh, um, okay," She shielded the sunlight out of her sight by putting her hand over her brow and looked from Mr. Faulkner to Connor, to the old man. She had agreed to give lessons to pay for her moored boat, but she didn't think the lesson slot would fill so quickly. And by someone who didn't seem that interested, like the guy from the grocery store, Connor.

"You're Jolly Rogers' daughter?" The old man asked in an evident British accent and Brooke raised her eyebrows in puzzlement. "Excuse me?" Mr. Faulkner let out a groan, "He means Chris. It's his nickname." She made a mental note to ask her father about the nickname, and looked at the old man curiously, "I'm his daughter- Brooke. Did you know him?" She asked the old man, and he let out a laugh and said, "Would you believe how things come back around? I taught your father, Miss Rogers." _Whoa_. Her eyes widened in surprise, and looked at the old man with new found respect. "That's..."

"Ironic? Quite. I'm Edward Kenway, Connor's grandfather," He grinned down at her, and Brooke found herself grinning back. He was more social than his son, Haytham, and then she looked over at Connor.

"Okay, you ready to go?" Brooke asked him, and Connor glanced around in surprise. "Uh-,"  
"Of _course_ he is! Go on!" Edward Kenway thudded him on the back, and Connor lurched forward, then glanced back at him with a mixture of embarrassment and distaste. "You'll be sailing in no time, it's in your blood, boy!" Brooke laughed at the situation, and moved to the opposite side of the boat to make room for him. "Come on, it's not too bad."

Connor sighed and clambered onto the _Sachem_. The small boat rocked at the sudden shift in weight and Mr. Faulkner scowled, "Left foot? You use your right foot boy! Always step onto her with a right foot!" They both glanced up at them in surprise at the outburst, and Connor looked unsure of how to sit on the boat.

"Don't be shy either, it's unbecoming of Kenway men!" Edward advised him, and that seemed to fluster Connor even more. Brooke rolled her eyes and gave the two old men a wave. "What time do you want him back?" She asked, peering under the boom to look at them, and the old man shrugged, "Take your time!" She nodded, and then turned to help Connor, who was clutching the dock's edge as he tried to find his sea legs.

"You hook your feet under the straps and balance on the edge." Brooke advised, and after he followed her advice, he found his balance. After settling into a comfortable seat, Connor told her, "Let's go." She nodded, and started to steer away from the dock's edge.

"Have fun, kids!" Edward shouted as they started to sail away from the dock. Brooke couldn't help but laugh slightly at the entire situation.

Connor looked at her in surprise.

"What' so funny?"

"Never would'a thought I got a job so fast." Brooke looked at Connor curiously, he was obviously Native American but his father was British. He spoke without an accent, so that must've meant he lived with his mother for most of his life. She remembered he said something about moving in earlier June. Her curious mind would have continued to wonder more about the person sitting across from her, but she stopped herself when Connor asked, "What's this?"

He wa tugging at the centerboard, and Brooke . "Oh that, its called a centerboard. It keeps the boat from flipping," Connor snapped his hand back, and she smiled slightly. "I'm turning the boat- its called tacking or jibing. By the way, duck."

"Duck?" Connor looked at her in confusion, and she looked at him with an expectant expression, "Duck!" Brooke turned the boat, and the boom swung over. Connor had started to slide down, bt he didn't go fast enough. The boom hit him square in the chest, and threw him backwards. He toppled off the side of the boat, and Brooke's eyes flew wide. "Connor!" She shouted in panic, and let out the sail to slow the _Sachem_ down to a crawl. She twisted back around to search for Connor, who surfaced and looked very surprised. He gasped for breath, and started to swim towards the boat. She helped haul him up over the edge, and he started to recover. He gripped the edge of the _Sachem_ and was trying to steady his breathing. Brooke put a hand on the boom and looked at him from under it, her eyebrows raised in concern.

"You okay?"

Connor shrugged and Brooke knew he was lying. The boom hit him _hard_, and it was amazing he hadn't broken a rib. "If your hurt, tell me," Brooke insisted, and he looked at her with a frown.

"I'm fine," He responded, and Brooke rolled her eyes. "Okay, on with the sailing lesson, then." She knew she wouldn't get any other answer from Connor than, "'I'm fine'" so after the boat started moving again, Brooke started to teach again.

"This it the boom, it's connected to the main sail, so whenever I turn, it also turns. Fast. You know why its called the boom, obviously, because it can knock someone out, or off the boat." She smiled slightly, then handed him the main sheet***.

"Rope?" He asked, looking at Brooke in puzzlement. "It's called the main-sheet. Connects with with mainsail, and decides how far the boom swings out. Let it go when I tell you, and draw it in when I tell you. Pulling the sheet means more speed, letting it go slows the boat down."

Connor nodded, and looked like he was trying to remember all the names. Brooke laughed at him, "Don't worry, it takes a little while to get everything straight." Connor was quiet for a bit, then he slowly started to relax. The _Sachem_ started to pick up speed, and the sun rose higher in the air.

"So Connor, how did you end up in Faircliff?" Brooke eventually asked, her curiosity cropping back up again, and he swallowed and glanced away. _A touchy subject._ She faltered, "You don't have to tell me."

He shrugged and glanced down at the boat's floor, "Moved here from the Mohawk Rez after... My mom- she..." He trailed off, and Brooke's eyes softened as she recognized the look Connor carried in his eyes. Pain clouded his brown eyes as he remembered his mother's death, and Brooke felt herself think back to Charleston. Her necklace felt heavier on her chest, and Brooke said the only thing that came to her mind.

"I'm sorry. I do know what it feels like to lose a family member," She told him lamely, but she caught Connor's gaze when he looked up in surprise. An understanding passed between them and Brooke glanced away, "It gets better, eventually." He didn't respond automatically, and she knew that pressing the subject would cross a line of comfort, so she didn't continue the topic. She found herself thinking about her experiences Charleston, and she gripped the tiller**** a little tighter.

"Thank you," Connor said quietly, and Brooke nodded at him. A comfortable silence settled between them, and they both gazed out over the cove. The beach was bustling again, and more boats were out, along with a couple jet skis.

Brooke decided to hand Connor the tiller and said with a grin, "Wanna steer for a little bit?"

...

A month had passed before Ezio saw Brooke again, and for Faircliff, that was almost impossible to achieve. Only the insane old man who lived at the town's edge was able to achieve that level of obscurity. A month usually meant Ezio moved on, but she was so frustratingly confusing that he had kept her in the back of his mind for all that time. Ezio met her again when the summer's heaviest rainstorm struck.

Water pelted the windshield as he drove toward Desmond's house, and Ezio was trying to drive the best he could in such low visibility driving conditions. The freak storm sneakedup on Faircliff only minutes ago, and it was currently dumping gallons of water on the town. Thunder clapped loudly in the distance and it was loud enough to hear over his loud music.

Then, he saw someone trudging out in the storm. _Who's crazy enough to be out in this storm?_ Ezio wondered as he pulled to a stop next to the person. He rolled down the window and through the storm, shouted at the person, "What are you doing?"

The person turned, and Ezio saw a girl drenched in water. A familiar girl- one that was hard to forget. His eyes widened in recognition. "Brooke?!" He shouted and she seemed just as surprised.

"Ezio?" She asked, and walked toward the car. Rain was going into the car via window and Ezio felt himself shiver slightly. His eyes dropped down to look quickly at her body- which was easily outlined by her blue bikini, a wet white t-shirt, and running shorts that were plastered onto her legs. _She has such a good body_, Ezio thought as he went back up to look at her. She was giving him that look again, he couldn't tell if she was mad or amused at him.

"Need a ride?" He asked, and she smirked slightly. "And miss out on fun of taking a stroll in a thunder storm?" She laughed, then said, "Why not." Ezio grinned and jerked his thumb over his shoulder, toward the passenger's seat. "Hop in."

Brooke walked around the front of the truck and opened the side door. He rolled up the window, and flinched inwardly when her body got water on his nice leather seat. She shut the door and sat back against the seat, her expression grateful for being rescued out of the pouring rain.

"So where are you headed?" Ezio asked, and Brooke shivered slightly and said, "Home... which is about a mile away." He nodded and turned up the heat so she wouldn't be cold. His music was still playing loudly, and he cringed inwardly when she looked at the stereo with a raised eyebrow. _Shit, she's probably into country pop, not alternative. _Ezio thought when he remembered she was from the south.

"Here, choose whatever music you like," He said, quickly handing her his iPhone before she could do the usual snippy girl comment. Music was often a deciding factor with girls- it relaxed them, made them more daring, and made Ezio's life easier. He took Claudia's music and uploaded the songs that girls loved and made guys like him cringe- just for situations like this. Brooke rolled her eyes and took the iPhone and started to scroll through his music. Instead of the usual,_ 'What's Starfuker?' _or _'You actually _like_ the Rolling Stones? My grandpa listens to them!'_ (which annoyed Ezio to no end because most of the grandparent's generation disliked the Stones)_,_ Brooke just started to smile slightly as she scanned the artists. She kept confusing him- and Ezio shifted in nervousness. When she finally spoke, Ezio nearly jumped out of his skin.

"You like the Hanni El Khatib too?" She asked and Ezio's eyes went wide. _What?_ He was scrambling to answer, and Brooke's eyebrows knit together in confusion, "Did I say something wrong?" He shook his head, "No- I just- I've never met a girl that likes him." She snorted, and selected the song _'Skinny Little Girl_'. "Then obviously, you haven't met a girl with a good taste in music."

"Until now," He replied with a grin, and Brooke laughed, "Thanks." She set the iPhone down and started to wring out her hair. His fingertips tapped against the steering wheel as the song started up. Ezio started to drive again, and glanced over at Brooke, "You'll tell me where to go?"

"Yeah," She said as she started to pull her hair up into a bun at the top of her head. Ezio's eyes jumped toward her breasts, and a gold locket which slipped into view. Everything clicked into place._ She had a boyfriend from where she lived_, he thought- that's why she was giving him mixed signals. She was pining over her ex. They must've broken up when she left, but she still harbored feelings for the guy. _It's why she didn't go to the party- she wasn't ready for another relationship. Even though it'd be short._ Ezio felt like he just solved a mystery, but he had to be sure. He tore his eyes away from the locket, and focused on the road. He had to choose his words carefully.

"I didn't see you at the party," Ezio started, and glanced over at Brooke, who shrugged and said, "I wasn't in the mood for it." Her answer was short, and it only confirmed his suspicions. "Well by the end of this summer, I'm taking you to at least _one _party," He grinned at her, and she rolled her eyes, "Got it." His grin faltered, Ezio as still not used to her answers. Was she refusing him or encouraging him?

"So what were you doing, walking beside the road in the storm?" Ezio asked, and Brooke smiled. "You mean besides getting my shower for the day?" She laughed, "I've got a job teaching kids how to sail. I usually get up around 6 to jog over to the docks and sail my boat, so I didn't have a car." His eyebrows rose in confusion, "You _want _to get up early every day?"

She shrugged said, "I like to get things done. I can't stand it when something isn't moving forward, so I'm always going at a hundred miles per hour every day." Ezio shuddered, "Sounds exhausting." Brooke laughed and then said, "You like to take it easy, don't you? Wake up late, have an easy day at the beach," She smirked, "Get easy girls." He felt his cheeks grow hot, and he had no idea why. Brooke was right and it made him feel like he was caught doing something wrong.

"I- um- don't know what you're talking about," Ezio spluttered, and she laughed at him. "Really? So girls don't go for you?" Had he not been taken off guard by her, he would've been able to respond with a flirtatious remark, but now, he was only scrambling.

"No, they do, I see girls all the... just, never mind," His cheeks were now flaming with embarrassment, and his mind was yelling at him to get it together. Brooke just smiled mysteriously, "Hey, it could be a complement- depending how you look at it." Her words just made his head spin more, but Ezio found himself able to find some sort of foothold in his thoughts.

"Are you flirting with me?" He asked, and Brooke's mysterious smile turned seductive as she leaned forward, put a hand on Ezio's arm, and batted her eyelashes. His eyes widened in shock, and he felt his pulse start to quicken. Then, Brooke said in a heavy Southern accent, "Suga', you'd know if I was flirtin' with you." She laughed and sat back in her seat. Ezio realized the car had started to drift to the opposite side of the road, and he swerved over to the correct side. He felt the heat on his cheeks as he realized he would know if Brooke _was _flirting with him. But right now, she was just joking, right? Ezio gave her a sidelong glance and she was smiling slightly. Her hand went to her locket, and he remembered he wanted to ask her about it.

"It's pretty," Ezio told her after he composed himself. She looked at him in confusion, "What?" He tossed her a grin as he felt himself return to normal, "Your locket. It's pretty." Brooke dropped the locket and a slight color rushed to her cheeks. "Thanks." An awkward silence hung in the air, and Brooke started to look out the window.

_She's obviously emotionally connected to it. A boyfriend definitely gave it to her._ He wanted to press the topic, but he was unsure how she would react and didn't want to trigger some extreme emotions or something similar. Still, Ezio's curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "Did someone give it to you?"

Brooke nodded slowly, "Yeah... my brother, before he went on tour." Ezio's eyes widened, his entire hypothesis about her had been proved wrong. There wasn't a long distance ex. There wasn't an answer to why she acted so confusingly. His head reeled again, and a small part of him wondered about what she said. He was about to ask her about it, when she said, "I think we missed the turn."

Ezio's eyes narrowed slightly, she moved abruptly away from the topic of her brother- he realized that her brother must have been killed. He nodded, and pulled into a gravel driveway to do a U-Turn.

"So what about your family?" Brooke asked as she looked out the window. He glanced at her, before focusing on the road ahead. "If you hadn't noticed by the name- I'm completely Italian. Mom's from Italy, my dad moved here as a kid. He runs the bank in town and my mom used to be a nurse."

"Any siblings?"

"Yeah, two other brothers and a sister," He glanced at her curiously, and Brooke nodded. They drove in the car, listening to his music on shuffle, and a comfortable silence fell between them. Ezio wondered why she suddenly closed herself off at the topic of her brother and why Brooke didn't act like a normal girl toward him. She was staring out at the rain with her head propped up by her hand.  
"Here- turn here," She spoke suddenly, and Ezio nodded. He realized he was headed this way as well- this was where Desmond lived. He looked at her again and Brooke turned to look at him, her lips forming small smile. "What school do you go to?"

Ezio nearly raised an eyebrow at such a random question, but he refrained. "Ackley, why?" Brooke's smile grew into a smirk, "Then I'll be seeing you frequently, Ezio." He felt himself grin again. "If you're going to Ackley, then that means I'm going to_ have _to get you to at least one party before we start school."

"What's it with you and taking me to parties?" Brooke asked as she looked at the houses through the rain. Her tone was slightly playful, but she could have also sounded slightly annoyed. His head spun, and Ezio pouted slightly, "What's it with you and avoiding parties?"

"I get into trouble at parties," she replied with a sigh, and he smirked at her, "I can do trouble." Brooke rolled her eyes, "I'm sure you _do_ a lot of things, Ezio." Ezio wasn't sure if she was joking with him, or flirting, or both, but before he could respond, she told him to stop. Right next to Desmond's house. He made a mental note to question Desmond about his new neighbor later.

"This is where I get off," She turned to look at Ezio as she started to unbuckle her seat belt. Usually, he would make out with a girl in a normal situation, but he was starting to see that Brooke wasn't as normal as she appeared. There was something that she kept hidden... something about her didn't add up. And Ezio wanted to know what it was.

Brooke smiled warmly and said, "Thanks, Ezio." He grinned back and said, "My pleasure." She rolled her eyes and opened the door. "Do you want me to walk you to the door?" He asked her, and she looked over her shoulder at him as she turned to get out. "Thanks, Prince Charming, but I can handle myself." She slid out of the car and went to shut the door, when Ezio told her, "I'm getting you to a party by the time Ackley starts, Brooke."

"Uh-huh, good luck trying," She responded as she turned around to grin at Ezio. He winked at her, "I know where you live." Brooke rolled her eyes again. "I'll be sure to lock the doors," She laughed and shut the door. Ezio watched her as she ran up the steps to her house and walked inside, and never looked back at him.

* * *

**Okay, so this chapter took me awhile. I have a bit harder time writing chapters without feedback, but thank you for all the favorites/ follows. This one is a bit of a filler, I know, but I hope it was an enjoyable filler that also was an over shadowing chapter... Once they start school, the storyline will pick up, (which involves Altiar in case you were curious...) Anyway, R&R and valete!**

**Time for some Sailing knowledge...**

*sheets- ropes that control the sails

**boom- a metal rode that attaches to the mast (the pole in the center of the boat) and the sail. It swings across the boat depending on the wind direction/ turning, and if you don't duck... well, you know what happens ;)

***mainsheet- the rope that connects to the main sail (the largest sail) and determines how far the boom swings out. The tighter the main sheet= a closer boom= more speed.

****tiller- the thing at the end of a boat with the handle. It steers the boat.

**If you guys really care about the sailing terms, feel free to research them. It is so much easier to explain in real life, trust me.**


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